The FiFi Report 033

The Barbarian Invasions
This is the French Canadian film which won this year’s Oscar for best foreign film from the filmmaker Denys Arcand (who made the Jesus Of Montreal). It’s about “ Remy a chubby cheeked (read fat and bald) history teacher, a rumpled bohemian chatterbox who has devoted his life to wine, women and left wing causes” And now he’s dying in hospital and his family and friends turn up to say their good byes. I think they should have made it a quick goodbye. And got out of there. (Apparently they are the cast from another Denys Arcand film from 17 years ago. I’m thinking it was a bad idea for a reunion.) The problem? It’s just this movie is a bit wet and corny. It’s written like a play with lots of ‘witty’ repartee and dialogue but it’s like one of the old “Carry on” movies. My prents might think it was funny. Then again they might not. The critics say it has a refreshingly sophisticated humour. I say lost in translation (and that French Canadian accent is so hard to understand.) Plus it all seems fake- no one who is dying of cancer could be so fat - and all the characters are so cliché (the usual array of poofs, ex wife, mistresses, the wanker banker son, a heroin addict). OK it got a bit sad at the end because it’s all about life and death and you start to think about your mortality. But you leave the cinema thinking life is too short to watch non de la non movie like this one…